Winter tire suggestions for our area conditions...studs or studless?

[88TacoRunner]

Wanted to get some suggestions from the local crowd being that we’re all subject to basically the same weather and road conditions. My girlfriend is looking to buy some winter tires for safety for her 96 Honda Accord as she commutes to school on a regular basis and has two kids, and the weather seems to be getting to that point. I’ve always been partial to studs just because they’re tried and true and have worked well, but she was contemplating studless winter tires like Blizzaks. The dude told me they have a micro-porous silicone based compound that stays pliable and sticks to the road better, whereas the studed tires basically use generic tires set up for studs, which makes the stud the only part that really grips the road. I know he was trying to sell his studless brand but what he said kinda made sense. Wanted to know if anybody here had any real world experience with studless tires vs. studs based on our area and what it throws at us. At this point the price per tire is negligible, I’m just really looking for the best as far as safety is concerned, any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks…Dylan

 

[retrofive]

Ive heard good things about the Blizzaks, but never have ran them.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

Please don't buy studs! Any of the tires like Blizzaks will do better and not tear up our roads...

 

[retrofive]

I'm a believer in sipping as well. Helps quite a bit, and practical in our rainy seasons as well.

 

[TOY350]

No experience myself but had a neighbor who ran the Hancook winter tires and said they gripped really well.

 

[Ebag333]

The runs these on her truck (only E range, which I wanted to D but they were out of...) with the kedge grip. I've been in a bunch of different conditions and absolutely love them. Price is nice too.

https://treadwright.com/p-53-285-75r16-warden-a-t-d.aspx

I requested (and got) BFG carcasses. Tire shop was impressed with them as well, said they balanced nicer and used less weight than most production tires.

 

[Kief]

Studs- buy ones that someone kept but then sold the car..if you aren't in a hurry.
With the chip seal around here the tar-spots are like slick plastic. I've never run the high dollar studless tires but I see the state troopers running studded- I think they might put on a few miles on the ice and snow. They outlawed studs for a while and they repealed that law. Salt the roads and then we'll pay in rust repair..

Reguardless, icy or snowy conditions require driving more carefully and yes, slower, I know .

 

[gnob]

the reality is, nothing really works good in ice. except going slower.

that being said, i typically try so sell against studs.

the blizzaks are actually designed as an ice tire first. one of the new tirerack mags has a pic of a bmw on an ice rink riding on blizzaks. you can also prob check ouy youtube for some real life vids of tests.

if i were buying traction tires, they would for sure be studless.

in fact we had some michelin studless on the old x-terra, and they were pretty awesome.

kind of a rant sorry. . . .

 

[88TacoRunner]

Thanks for all the good feedback. She's decided to get studless, probably the Blizzaks from Expert Tire. Im taking her car in with some spare rims tomorrow to get them mounted/balanced and installed. We'll see how they feel then we head up to the slick stuff....Dylan